Dark and Dangerous
by OhDarlingIWishYouWereHere
Summary: New student, Mckayla Harrison immediately befriends Declan Coyne. But when your dad's a spy, close relationships with anyone never end well. And in Mckayla and Declan's case- deadly.


First Chapter!

Chapter 1: Mckayla

Declan Coyne strode into the band room in a hurry to find himself face to face with Anya.

"Why'd I get called here?" He asked in annoyance, running a hand through his hair.

"We have a bit of a problem, Mr. Director."

Declan groaned aloud. Since Shontay had gotten sick before her starring role in the big musical, they had graciously planned an encore show so she could perform for her family, who had all come to see her.

"What?"

Anya looked down at her clipboard and half smiled at him apologetically. "Shontay was supposed to come in for a final costume fitting this afternoon, but she never showed."

"You and Fiona need to work it out. I have a date with Holly J."

"Fine. You two have fun." Anya turned to face the backstage. "Fiona? Declan says we need to work it out!" He heard her yell as she sauntered off.

"Declan!" Holly J came running in.

Declan spun around and kissed her passionately.

"So how's the play going?" Holly J asked breathlessly.

Declan sighed. "Shontay wasn't here for her final costume fitting. Anya and Fiona are up in arms about it."

"She can't have grown or shrunk any since her last fitting. I'm gunna guess that she will still fit in her costume."

"If only I had sensible people like you working for me, Holly J." He brushed his lips against hers again. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"But don't you have a wardrobe crisis to handle?" Holly J raised her eyebrows.

"I'm pretty sure they can handle it. Before we go though I need to post a sheet up. I need to find someone in one day to help Clare move props around."

"Um…excuse me?" A new voice called from the top of the theatre.

Declan and Holly J looked to see who was speaking. A teen girl started down the steps, while tying up her brown hair into a ponytail. She smiled timidly as she approached the couple.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. I'm looking for a…" she paused consulting a folded note in her hand, "Declan Coyne."

"That's me." Declan held out his hand and the girl shook it. "What can I help you with?"

"I'm new here so I was touring the school and I ran into a girl named Shontay who wanted me to come and tell you she is sorry she missed her costume fitting; something came up. Also that she'll be here tomorrow at eight sharp for the show."

"Great. Welcome to Degrassi. As you know now I'm Declan and this is my girlfriend, Holly J." Holly J raised a hand in acknowledgement of her name. "Holly J is the class president."

"Oh, nice to meet you. My name's Mckayla Harrison."

At that moment a woman appeared at the doorway. "Mckayla?"

"Coming mom!" Mckayla called over her shoulder. "So I'll see you guys around." Then she turned and scampered up the steps.

"Mckayla…" Declan muttered as her footsteps disappeared down the halls.

"She was cute, huh?" Holly J stated looking up at Declan's vacant expression.

"Adorable." He squeezed Holly J's shoulders. "Too bad I'm not into that type. I prefer the hot, take control kind of gals, myself."

The couple walked out of the theatre together and headed off towards The Dot.

Mckayla Harrison was sitting in the passenger seat of her mom's car.

"So who was that handsome young man you were talking to?"

"Declan Coyne."

"So…do you have your eye on him?"

Mckayla sighed in frustration. "He has a girlfriend."

"Well she's not anywhere near as pretty as you."

"MOM! I'm not here to meet boys, remember?"

"Just trying to get your mind off less pleasant topics."

"Pretending this isn't happening isn't going to make it go away." She leaned against the cool window, "I can't afford to get distracted," The car passed The Dot café and Mckayla saw Holly J and Declan making out in front of it., "No matter good looking he is."

Mckayla's heart felt a little heavy as she thought about Declan and his _girlfriend_. She missed being in love. Charlie had been her first and only boyfriend. She had fallen for him instantly, but like always her father had ruined the whole thing. He ruined her childhood, her holidays, her family, but the last mistake he made cost Mckayla everything. The last mistake her father made had cost Charlie his life. Now Mckayla knew her mission was clear and she couldn't afford to get distracted by love because in the end everyone she loved would be in danger.

"Hey Mckayla!"

Mckayla looked up from her locker to see Declan Coyne striding toward her a white sheet of paper in his hand.

"I saw you signed up to help with the prop situation."

"Oh yeah. I was real into the theatre at my old school."

"Really? Where were you?"

"London…" Mckayla trailed off wondering if she was disclosing too much information.

"Really? My sister, Fiona, and I lived in London for a while. We've moved around a lot."

"Yeah we did, too. My dad's job requires it."

"Is your dad in the military?"

Mckayla stopped at her classroom door and looked into Declan's gorgeous blue eyes. He seems innocent, definitely not the spy type, but she had been raised to not trust anyone. She couldn't just spill classified information to Declan, a boy she'd known only 48 hours because she thought he was attractive.

"Yeah…something like that. I'll see you at rehearsal." Mckayla headed into her classroom.

"Hey wait!"Declan came into the class and stood beside the desk Mckayla had slid into. "You should eat lunch with me, Fiona, and Holly J today. Fiona doesn't really have many people here she can relate to and I'd really like to talk to you more."

"Okay." Mckayla cursed herself inwardly the moment the word exited her mouth. _You're not allowed to make friends. _If Declan thought she was going to spill one piece of information about herself to him he was crazy. Sure she had signed up to help out with the musical, but she did it to fit in not to because she liked theatre.

Or Declan…

"Ready to go?" Declan's voice said from behind her. Mckayla nodded wordlessly and followed Declan to the caf. Holly J glared intimidatingly as she Mckayla took a seat next to Declan.

"Aw…showing the newbie around Declan?" Holly J sneered at Mckayla. "That's so sweet."

"Why yes I am. I find Mckayla extremely intriguing. Did you know she lived in London?"

"London?" Fiona piped up. "I loved living in London. They had the cutest little stores and the theatre was fabulous. I had the best English class and we went on a field trip to see 'Romeo and Juliet'. They reenacted in just as it would have been in Elizabethan times."

"Oh yeah I saw that, too. Also 'Hamlet'. 'Romeo and Juliet' was Charlie and my favorite."

"Charlie?" Holly J asked snidely. "Is he your boyfriend?" She put an emphasis on boyfriend as though implying something. Mckayla shifted uncomfortably in her seat when she realized that Holly J _was_ indeed implying something. She thought she was flirting with Declan.

"Charlie _was _my boyfriend." Mckayla corrected her.

"Oh did he dump you?"

Pissed at Holly J's tone of voice Mckayla snapped back. "No Holly J. He died in a car crash." _Sort of…no need to mention that the car blew up…_

An awkward silence fell over the table. Declan coughed into his fist. "I'm sorry." He said gruffly and Fiona echoed him. Holly J sat back in her chair. Mckayla thought she detected a bit of regret gleaming in her cold eyes.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too." Holly J muttered to her tray. "I didn't know."

"Thanks. It was my fault I…I talk about him like he's still here. I'm used to people knowing." The bell rang and Mckayla flashed her classmates what she hoped was a grateful smile. "Thanks for sitting with me. I hate the moves. Being the new kid is tough."

"I feel your pain." Fiona laughed darkly. "You should come back to my house after school. We can compare notes on Shakespeare."

Mckayla's stomach flipped a little. A big part of her was screaming not to do anything risky and that included going to stranger's houses. The other part wanted a friend more than anything. Because of the moving all the time she'd never made any real good friends. Until Charlie; he had introduced her to a whole new world of popularity and socializing. Suddenly she had found someone to tell her secrets, her epic stories to…and it had gotten him blown up.

"Yeah you should come by." Declan interjected with a smile that made Mckayla's head spin. "It'll be fun."

"Sounds great."

Fiona beamed. "Great! Declan and I will pick you up in the car out front after the last bell."

The Coynes' house was huge. Mckayla and Fiona were sitting Indian style on Fiona's bed. Declan was sitting on the floor, his back resting dangerously close to Mckayla's knee. They were watching the 1960's version of 'Romeo and Juliet'.

"I find Romeo's character so…so passionate." Fiona sighed, taking a bite of biscotti.

"I find both Romeo and Juliet incredibly stupid." Declan stated.

Mckayla laughed. "Really? Why?"

"Well," Declan shifted a little, "They knew each other for, what? Three days? The first day they go pledging their love for each other, then they get married, then they commit suicide."

"If your true love died you wouldn't want to die too?" Fiona inquired.

"I'm not saying that. I just don't believe what Romeo and Juliet had been real love. I think it was puppy love."

"Did you want to die when Charlie died, Mckayla?"

"Fi!" Declan warned.

"Oh um…of course I wanted to…" Mckayla wasn't sure why she was telling these people this, but it felt so good to tell the whole truth for once. "I was so in love with him. I swear my life revolved around him. When he died…I couldn't take it. Suicide wasn't an option though…I was needed by the living."

Declan and Fiona were quiet, but the silence wasn't awkward. Everyone was just lost in their own thoughts as they watched Romeo and Juliet die in the Capulet tomb.

"I'm going to the bathroom. Be right back." Fiona jumped off the bed and headed out of the room. As soon as she was gone Declan stood up and sat in her spot.

"Who are you Mckayla? No, no that's not it? _What_ are you?" He asked in a hushed tone.

Mckayla chortled darkly under her breath. "Wouldn't you love to know?"

"You can trust me." His eyes probed her trying to crack the code.

"I can't trust anyone Declan. Not strangers or policemen or firefighters or teachers or friends or my family…or even myself sometimes." Her throat felt thick and she found herself seconds away from tears.

"You can trust me." He repeated. "No one should be alone in life."

"The only time anyone is safe is when I'm alone. Ignorance is bliss." Mckayla observed her hands, sliding a silver ring up and down her finger.

"I won't let you be alone." Declan's hand stroked her face, then lifted her chin so she was locked in his gaze. He leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers. "I'll protect you."

Mckayla wanted desperately to pull away, but she couldn't. "That'll only put you in the line of fire…"

"Mckayla! I found this gorgeous jewelry from Paris! I think you'll like it!" Fiona's voice came from the hallway. Declan dropped from the bed to his old place on the ground as she pranced into the room.

That night Mckayla lay in bed thinking about Declan. Had they almost kissed?

"You can't trust him." She whispered to herself in the dark. "And even if you can you can't tell him anything." She rolled over so she was facing the picture of Charlie on her nightstand; she pressed her fingers to her mouth then touched the picture. "I'm so sorry Charlie."

The phrase "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." wasn't a funny comeback in Mckayla's world. Her dad being a spy put the whole family (and anyone they came in contact with) in danger for one simple reason: they knew too much. So staying alive was easy. Remain in the dark and you live; step into the light for even a second and you get a bullet through your head. Or blown up.

Either way Mckayla knew that she had to keep her mouth shut when talking to Declan. The consequences for slipping up would cost them both too much.


End file.
